2012 Chevrolet Equinox Problems, Complaints & Recalls

Source: NHTSA · Updated Sep 20, 2026 · 685 owner complaints analyzed

Compared with other Equinox years
More complaints than other years 5th of 22 for complaints
NHTSA crash rating
4 out of 5 stars

Owners have filed 685 complaints with NHTSA about the 2012 Chevrolet Equinox. That ranks 5th out of 22 Equinox model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is engine (355 complaints, 52%), typically at around 88,957 miles. Complaints mention 16 crashes, 6 fires, 13 injuries. There are 3 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 3 defect investigations involving it.

Chevrolet Equinox
A 2025 Chevrolet Equinox photographed in Flushing, Queens , New York, USA. Representative photo; appearance varies by model year. Photo: Kevauto, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.

Compare with another car

Most common 2012 Chevrolet Equinox problems

Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.

Engine355 · ~88,957 mi
Visibility/wiper121 · ~94,000 mi
Power Train84 · ~75,341 mi
Electrical System70 · ~65,000 mi
Fuel/propulsion System54 · ~69,000 mi
Unknown or Other53 · ~83,298 mi
Steering36 · ~36,000 mi
Electronic Stability Control (esc)26 · ~78,500 mi
Structure26 · ~68,875 mi
Air Bags19 · ~62,271 mi
Problem areaComplaintsShareMedian milesOwners mention mostTypical repair cost
Engine problems35552%88,957“oil consumption” (27%)$4,300
Visibility/wiper problems12118%94,000“wipers stopped” (30%)$440
Power Train problems8412%75,341“timing chain” (13%)—
Electrical System problems7010%65,000“goes off” (7%)—
Fuel/propulsion System problems548%69,000“oil consumption” (20%)—
Unknown or Other538%83,298——
Steering365%36,000——
Electronic Stability Control (esc)264%78,500——
Structure264%68,875——
Air Bags193%62,271——
Vehicle Speed Control183%10,000——
Service Brakes122%60,500——
Suspension122%39,000——
Wheels112%75,879——
Engine and Engine Cooling81%129,687——
Visibility71%65,633——
Exterior Lighting61%50,000——
Seats51%21,000——
Tires41%30,000——
Seat Belts30%59,000——
Back Over Prevention20%67,000——
Equipment20%1——
Equipment Adaptive/mobility20%37,000——
Forward Collision Avoidance20%223,500——
Child Seat10%———
Lane Departure10%67,000——
Latches/locks/linkages10%68,303——
Parking Brake10%60,500——
Service Brakes, Hydraulic10%77,000——

One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.

Complaints by year received

Peak: 2018, with 117 complaints
2011: 2201122012: 17172013: 162013162014: 31312015: 382015382016: 39392017: 862017862018: 1171172019: 11220191122020: 83832021: 542021542022: 30302023: 192023192024: 21212025: 142025142026: 66

n = 685 complaints · Source: NHTSA

2012 Chevrolet Equinox recalls (3)

Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.

Electrical system:ignition; power train:automatic transmission:control module (tcm/pcm/tecm)Jul 5, 2016 · NHTSA campaign 16V502000 · 8,367 vehicles

Problem: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Buick Verano and 2016 Chevrolet Malibu as the electronic park lock lever may allow the ignition key to be removed without the transmission being in PARK. Also, certain 2013 Buick Encore, 2011 Buick Regal, 2013-2014 Buick Verano, 2011-2016 Chevrolet Cruze, 2010-2013 Chevrolet Equinox 2013-2015 Chevrolet Malibu, and 2011-2013 GMC Terrain vehicles may have been serviced with similar defective replacement electronic park lock levers. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 114, "Theft Protection and Rollaway Prevention."

Risk: If the key is removed without the transmission in PARK, the vehicle may rollaway as occupants are exiting, increasing the risk of injury.

Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and if necessary replace the key cylinder lock housing, free of charge. The recall began on October 14, 2016. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, Buick 1-800-521-7300, and GMC 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 50490 and 50491.

Seats:front assembly:power adjustJul 23, 2014 · NHTSA campaign 14V447000 · 414,333 vehicles

Problem: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Buick LaCrosse, Regal and Chevrolet Camaro, as well as certain 2010-2012 Cadillac SRX, Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain vehicles, equipped with power height adjustable driver and passenger seats. In the affected vehicles, the bolt that secures the driver's and passenger's power front seat height adjuster may fall out causing the seat to drop suddenly to the lowest vertical position.

Risk: If the driver's seat unexpectedly drops, the distraction and altered seat position may affect the drivers' control of the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the height adjuster shoulder bolts, free of charge. The manufacturer distributed interim letters to owners on September 11, 2014. The recall began on December 26, 2014. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-800-521-7300 (Buick), 1-800-458-8006 (Cadillac), 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet), or 1-800-462-8782 (GMC). GM's number for this recall is 14271.

Tires:pressure monitoring and regulating systemsOct 19, 2011 · NHTSA campaign 11V511000 · 33,964 vehicles

Problem: General motors (gm) is recalling certain model year 2012 chevrolet equinox and gmc terrain vehicles, manufactured from july 18, 2011, through september 6, 2011, for failing to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard number 138, "tire pressure monitoring system" (tpms). The tire pressure monitoring system is designed to illuminate the tire pressure warning light when the pressure in a tire is 25% below the recommended cold tire pressure. On these vehicles, the light will not illuminate until the tire pressure is more than 25% below the recommended cold tire pressure.

Risk: Underinflated tires can result in tire overloading and overheating, which could lead to a blowout and possible crash. The resulting crash could cause serious injury. Underinflated tires can also result in premature or irregular wear, poor handling, and poor fuel economy.

Fix: Gm dealers will update the body control module free of charge. The safety recall is expected to begin on or about november 9, 2011. Owners may contact chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438 and gmc at 1-866-996-9463.

To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.

NHTSA defect investigations

  • Momentary Increased Steering Effort (PE20009) — opened Jun 1, 2020, closed Jun 3, 2022.
  • Front Wiper Transmission Inoperative (EA19005) — opened Dec 13, 2019, closed Nov 28, 2022, led to recall 22V165000.
  • Windshield Wiper Transmission Failure (RQ18002) — opened Nov 2, 2018, closed Dec 19, 2019.

Recent owner reports

Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.

We would like to know what kind of Airbag is mounted in the 2012 Chevrolet Equinox ? pertaining to the Detroit News Article ,September 5 2026 Page 3B = 11th Death tied to Chinese Air Bag made by Jillin Province Detiannuo Automotive System Co Ltd, known as DTN . 3 People were killed in a Hyundai ,10…

Air Bags · received Sep 20, 2026 · NHTSA complaint 11765702

The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Equinox. While the contact's daughter was driving 70 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power and the engine shut off. The contact's daughter attempted to restart the vehicle, and the vehicle started. There was an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle with several…

Engine · received Sep 18, 2026 · NHTSA complaint 11765306

See attached document for complaint.

Engine and Engine Cooling · received Sep 1, 2026 · NHTSA complaint 11761255

Wipers do not work Seems to not recognize when idling and starts to shake if stopped at a red light. Randomly will go through 2 quarts of oil in one day

Visibility/wiper · received May 3, 2026 · NHTSA complaint 11735335

The abs braking and stability control light came on and has stayed on and took to mechanic shop and was told to repair would be $4000 .that's more than what the car is worth!changed motor oil many times since I owned the car and it uses oil quite much.ihe oil gauge can say I have 70 percent oil and…

Engine · received Mar 14, 2026 · NHTSA complaint 11724278

Other Chevrolet Equinox years

← 2011 Equinox · 2013 Equinox →

See all Chevrolet Equinox problems by year, every Chevrolet model, or the Chevrolet VIN decoder.

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Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2012 Chevrolet Equinox?

Owners most often report engine, visibility/wiper, power train problems. The top one, engine, accounts for 355 complaints.

Was there a recall on the 2012 Chevrolet Equinox?

Yes, 3 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.

Was the 2012 Chevrolet Equinox a good year?

Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Equinox model years, the 2012 has more complaints than most years, and NHTSA rates it 4 out of 5 stars overall in crash tests. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.